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The Royal Scam
The Royal Scam is the fifth album by Steely Dan, originally released by ABC Records in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts.The Royal Scam features more prominent guitar work than other Steely Dan albums since the departure of Jeff Baxter. Guitarists on the recording include Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks. The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's more mellow and hugely successful follow-up, Aja. In common with other Steely Dan albums, The Royal Scam is littered with cryptic allusions to people and events both real and fictional. In a BBC interview in 2000, Becker and Fagen revealed that "Kid Charlemagne" is loosely based on Augustus Owsley Stanley, the notorious drug "chef" who was famous for manufacturing hallucinogenic compounds, and that "Caves of Altamira" is about the loss of innocence, the narrative about a visitor to the Cave of Altamira who registers his astonishment at the prehistoric drawings. The album was re-issued by MCA Records in 1979 following the sale of the ABC Records label to MCA. Cover The album cover shows a man in a suit, sleeping on a radiator, and apparently dreaming of skyscraper-beast hybrids. The cover was created from a painting by Larry Zox and a photograph by Charlie Ganse, and was originally created for Van Morrison's unreleased 1975 album, Mechanical Bliss, the concept being a satire of the American Dream. In the liner notes for the 1999 remaster of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)." Eagles reference In the song "Everything You Did", a lyric says, "turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening." Glenn Frey of Eagles said, "Apparently Walter Becker's girlfriend loved the Eagles, and she played them all the time. I think it drove him nuts. So, the story goes that they were having a fight one day and that was the genesis of the line." Given that the two bands shared a manager (Irving Azoff) and that the Eagles proclaimed their admiration for Steely Dan, this was more friendly rivalry than feud.3 Later that year in a nod back to Steely Dan for the free publicity,4 and inspired by Steely Dan's lyric style,5 the Eagles penned the lyrics, "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" in their hit "Hotel California". Frey commented, "We just wanted to allude to Steely Dan rather than mentioning them outright, so 'Dan' got changed to 'knives,' which is still, you know, a penile metaphor."6 Timothy B. Schmit, who sang background vocals on "The Royal Scam" would later join Eagles. Reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 3.5/5 stars7 Robert Christgau B8 Q 5/5 stars9 Rolling Stone 5/5 stars10 The album was not as highly rated upon its release as its predecessors with most reviewers noting that it did not seem to represent any musical advancement. In contrast, the original Rolling Stone review was more positive,11 and ultimately the magazine gave it five stars in a later Hall of Fame review.10 Track listing All songs by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, except where noted. Side one "Kid Charlemagne" – 4:38 Guitar solo by Larry Carlton "The Caves of Altamira" – 3:33 Tenor saxophone solo by John Klemmer "Don't Take Me Alive" – 4:16 Guitar solo by Larry Carlton "Sign in Stranger" – 4:23 Piano Solo by Paul Griffin Guitar Solo by Elliott Randall "The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) – 4:01 Guitar solo by Walter Becker Side two "Green Earrings" – 4:05 Guitar solos by Denny Dias (1st) and Elliott Randall (2nd) "Haitian Divorce" – 5:51 Talk box guitar solo by Dean Parks, altered by Walter Becker "Everything You Did" – 3:55 Guitar solo by Larry Carlton "The Royal Scam" – 6:30 Guitar solo by Larry Carlton Personnel Donald Fagen – keyboards, vocals, background vocals Walter Becker – bass, guitar Chuck Rainey – bass Timothy B. Schmit – background vocals Paul Griffin – keyboards Don Grolnick – keyboards Denny Dias – guitar Larry Carlton – guitar Dean Parks – guitar Elliott Randall – guitar Bob Findley – horn Chuck Findley – trumpet Dick "Slyde" Hyde – horn, trombone Jim Horn – saxophone Plas Johnson – saxophone John Klemmer – saxophone Rick Marotta – drums Bernard "Pretty" Purdie – drums Gary Coleman – percussion Victor Feldman – percussion, keyboards Venetta Fields – background vocals Clydie King – background vocals Sherlie Matthews – background vocals Michael McDonald – background vocals Production Producer: Gary Katz Engineer: Roger Nichols Mixdown engineer: Barney Perkins Sound Consultant: Dinky Dawson Horn arrangements: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Chuck Findley Art direction: Ed Caraeff Cover art: Zox Typography: Tom Nikosey Charts Album Year Chart Position 1976 US Albums 151 1976 UK Albums 11 Pop Singles Year Single Label & number Chart & position 1976 "Kid Charlemagne" (B-side: "Green Earrings") ABC 12195 U.S. 8212 1976 "The Fez" (B-side: "Sign In Stranger") ABC 12222 U.S. 5912 1976 "Haitian Divorce" (B-side: "Sign In Stranger") ABC 4152 (UK release) U.K. 1713 Category:1976 albums